March 10, 2014, London, U.K., -  Global confectionery manufacturer, Perfetti Van Melle, announced that it has appointed leading global brand extension agency and consultancy, Beanstalk, as its exclusive licensing agency in Greater China for the iconic lollipop brand, Chupa Chups®. Beanstalk will leverage Chupa Chups®’ unique heritage and strong emotional connection with sweets lovers to extend the brand to lifestyle categories, including apparel, personal care, video games, apps, sporting goods, home textiles, stationery, gifts, pet accessories, among others. The programme will target teens, tweens and the young at heart. Josephine Law, Managing Director Beanstalk Asia, says, “Chupa Chups®’ strong brand personality is widely admired as a result of its iconic, colourful imagery and unique flavour profiles. The brand has universal appeal, lending itself well to extensions outside of the core confectionery area. We are excited to begin working with such a beloved and iconic brand, and to continue expanding its reach with innovative and fun products.”

Marta Ballesteros, Senior Brand Manager Licensing at Chupa Chups®, comments, “Chupa Chups® is a truly international brand as a result of its global awareness and emotional link to a diverse group of consumers. Over the years, we have successfully extended our core brand values into exciting product categories for our fans. We are thrilled to be expanding our licensing programme into another important market. Beanstalk has over 20 years of experience helping iconic brands extend their reach global footprint, making them an ideal partner to help us properly execute a strategic licensing programme in Greater China.”

Beanstalk is already a partner of Perfetti Van Melle in the United States, where it has represented its Airheads brand since 2009.

About Chupa Chups Chupa Chups®, the iconic lollipop brand, was launched in Spain back in 1958. It has very much become a part of popular culture and a generic name for round lollipops in many countries. The famous flower logo of the lollipop, was designed by the artist Salvador Dalí himself in the late 1960s. Today, Chupa Chups® is the most popular and consumed lollipop in the world; one out of four lollipops sold worldwide is a Chupa Chups®. Every year billions of these high quality lollipops, with a huge variety of flavours in eye catching colourful wrappers, are enjoyed by people of all ages in 150 countries. Chupa Chups® is a truly global brand.

Over the years, the magic and brand values of Chupa Chups® have expanded into new products on the wish list of its fans. Chupa Chups® has developed a lifestyle licensing programme which is rapidly expanding into its key markets. The iconic lollipop brand always finds new ways to transfer the essence of its flavours and colours to an ever expanding universe of trendy products. With its sweet appeal, Chupa Chups® offers endless possibilities to create unique retail experiences. Chupa Chups® is the perfect treat for your senses to make life less serious!

For further information, please visit: www.chupachupsuniverse.com

About Perfetti Van Melle Perfetti Van Melle, the third largest confectionary group in the world, is a privately owned company producing and distributing candies and chewing gum in more than 150 countries worldwide. Several of its brands such as Mentos®, Airheads®, Chupa Chups®, Frisk®, Fruittella®, Alpenliebe®, Golia®, Happydent®, Vivident®, Big Babol® and Smint®, are much-loved throughout the five continents. In addition to these global brands, Perfetti Van Melle offers a wide range of products, the popularity of which is rooted in individual, local and regional markets. The ability to develop products, versions and flavours that suit the different demands and opportunities of local markets is indeed one of the group’s keys to success.

Moreover, the global confectionery player Perfetti Van Melle Group develops successful licensing programmes with some of its most popular brands: Chupa Chups® and Airheads®. Fresh lifestyle licensing programmes are also soon to be launched with two other confectionery classics: Mentos® and Frisk®.

For further information, please visit: http://www.perfettivanmelle.com

About Beanstalk Beanstalk, a global brand licensing agency and consultancy, extends brands through the strategic and creative development of licensed products. The company works with corporate brands, celebrities, entertainment properties, and other high-profile clients to leverage licensing as a strategic tool to enhance brand awareness, increase consumer touch-points, and generate revenue. Beanstalk also offers a breadth of additional licensing services including direct-to-retail program management, license acquisition for manufacturers and royalty auditing. The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Los Angeles, Miami, and Hong Kong, and affiliates throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com. Beanstalk is a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc.

About Diversified Agency Services Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom's holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries. ###